Fated To Love You (The Fate Chronicles #1)

XIII

XIII

(edited.)

Taylor pulled his phone out of his pocket just moments after he had put it away, wondering why Carmen hadn't texted him yet. It had been two days since they went to the ice cream store together and her lack of communication was starting to worry him. He felt his eyebrows knit together as he concentrated on his phone screen, hoping that she would send a message soon.

He had been so focused on his phone that he didn't notice as his father finally got onto the ice and skated towards him.

"Everything alright, son?" his father asked him, causing him to finally look away. He forced a smile as he placed it back into his pocket and nodded his head.

"Yeah," he lied, switching his stick into his dominant hand. His father stopped as soon as he heard his reply and nodded his head.

"Let's get to practicing then," he told Taylor before he turned around and skated towards the net which was set up before they got there.

---

It was after their practice and the two men were seated on a bench, drinking warm beverages which his mother had brought for them moments ago. His father was in the middle of recalling a memory of when he was around Taylor's age. And although he would nod his head at certain times, Taylor's thoughts were far from what his father was saying.

He couldn't stop thinking about Carmen, wondering why she had acted so distant the last time they had been together. He knew that he was wrong to bring up his mother so soon after their exchange but he had just wanted to tell her about his mother's apple pie; it was as simple as that.

When he felt his father elbow him slightly, that was when his thoughts were broken and he was forced to look at him.

"Did you even hear a word I said?" his father asked, genuinely amused.

"What were you saying dad?" he asked after a moment of silence. His father's eyes wandered to his other hand which held his phone. He turned to look at the screen and was surprised when he saw Carmen's number.

"Why were you staring at her number? Did she say something to you?" his father asked. He locked his phone and placed it in his pocket before facing him.

"Why would she? Did something happen?" 

And instead of being met with an answer, all he got was silence.

"Dad─" he started to speak but his father interrupted him.

"Your mother and I don't want you to get involved with her anymore. You need to stay away from her."

"Why should I stay away from her?" he asked. His father immediately opened his mouth as if he was going to reply but he decided against it. After another moment of silence, he cleared his throat and finally replied.

"It's for the best; just trust us son."

A mocking smile lit up his face as he continued to look at his father.

"You may be my father but you don't have the right to make decisions for me. I'm twenty-one; that's old enough for me to decide what to do in this situation so please don't tell me what to do."

"We're still your parents and we always will be; no matter how old you get."

"But that doesn't give you the right to make a decision after I got into this mess. It was my fault and I can't just stay away and watch from afar as she deals with something that I caused. I don't want to be the coward who runs away from his mistakes; I want to be able to live with my mistakes."

"But do you know how difficult parenthood is? Are you prepared for the big changes that it'll bring?"

"I don't know but I'll learn by doing it─"

"And besides, where are you going to keep the baby? You know you can't keep a child on campus."

"I'll get an apartment if I have to," was his simple reply.

"With what money?"

"With what I saved up from my summer jobs."

"You mean the money for your trip to Toronto? One of the biggest hockey capitals of the world? Do you know how much you've dreamed about that trip?" his father stressed. An even though it was painful for him to accept that, he smiled and nodded his head.

"I know but things can't always go my way," he said.

"Taylor─"

"Dad, I'll get through it; we'll get through it. So please don't worry."

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